Vertical retort bench



juh? 16, 1935 (g, H NlLES VERTICAL RETORT BENCH Filed July 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR GLENN H. NILES willi/l ATTORNEY July 16, 1935. G. H. NlLEs 2,008,334

I VERTICAL RETORT BENCH Filed July s, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 lo I/ w@ lNvENTo GLENN H.Nu es mi A ATTORNEY Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED STATES v h 2,008,334 VERTICAL marcar BENCH Glenn H. Niles, Ridgewood, N. J., assigner to Improved Equipment-Russell Engineering Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 3, 1933, Serial No. 678,757

3 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for heat treating solid material, and more particularly to an improved form oi vertical carbonizing retort bench adapted for the manufacture of gas and coke from bituminous coal.`

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved type of vertical retort which is adapted for either continuous or intermittent coking of bituminous coal, or for heatvtreating solid material such as wood, lignite, iron pyrites, oil shale and the like. Another object is to provide coal distilling apparatus of the type referred to having means for varying the operating cycle by adjustment of the'liquid seals on the outlets through which the gas and coke products are removed. An important feature of the invention ers with connections for increasing the heat utilization eniciency of the unit.

- With the above and otherobjects and features in' view, the invention consists inthe improved carbonizing apparatus hereinafter described and more particularly denned in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, which show a bench of two retorts, it being understood that the number of retorts may be varied tosuit different requirements.

Fig. 1 isaview in vertical end elevation of a bench of two retorts, showing one retort invertical section, `taken on the plane I-l of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a View in vertical side section, taken on the plane 2-2 of Fig. l. g

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section ofthe retort bench taken on the plane 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical side 'section of the heating flues, taken on the plane 4 4 of Fig. 1.`

Fig. 5 isan enlarged detailed view in vertical section, `illustrating the charge supporting and ldumping 'elements shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a View in vertical section of a modified form of heat interchanger of a type adapted for mounting in the heating flue of the retort setting, as illustrated generally in Fig. 4.

(Cl. 20E-253) TheV invention will be hereinafter described with specic reference to its application to the treatment of coal.

As illustrated in Figs. l and 2, each vertical retort l istapered and is relatively deep, long and narrow, averaging say'S in'width, `with a height of l2 or more, depending upon the character of coke desired. Each retort may have a horizontal length of as much as 7 or 8', and may bedivided into two or more vertical cornpartments il by spaced vertical diaphragms l2. The diaphragme lZeXtend from the lower end of the retort to a point spaced from the top thereof suicientlyk to provide a gas removal header M communieably connecting the compartments at the upper end oi the retort. At the upper and front end of` each retort a gas offtalre it is provided consisting of a scrubber pipe il and `hydraulic seal box l@ with connection to the bench gas oitake pipe. Y

The retorts i il are mounted in a heating chamber ld through which heating gasesxcirculate, and the whole structure is supported Vby girders E@ ,over a coke quenching tanlr 22. Each retort Il) is normally separated at its lower end'from adjoining retorts "in the battery by a division plate 24 extending below the normal level of liquid maintainedin tank 222. Liquid is supplied to tank `22 continuously at a rate to replace all evaporation and other losses,v through pipe 25. An adjustable overflow pipe t in the coke outlet affords the means for varying the depth of sealing` liquid in tank 22. Girders 2t are so placed as to form the lower ends of diaphragms l2, but are apertured at 2i to permit intercommunication at all times between the retort compartments.

Between the lower end o1 each retort and the quenching tank there is mounted a dumping roll 28 adapted to support a charge of fuel in the retort* and to discharge coke from the bottom of each retort compartment into the quenching tank. The dumping roll 223 is made up of independently operable sections separately control.-

lingthe dischargeof colte from each lretort com- Y partment il. Each dumping roll (Fig. 5) consists of 3 roll sections til, and mounted respectively under each retort compartment il.

The roll Sil which controls discharge of coke from.

the retort compartment il shown on the left hand side of Fig. 2, is loosely journaled on a shaft `and is keyed to-hollow driveqshaftt, which is journaled in a frame ldrnounted in the iront wall of the bench. The roll section 32 which controls the dumping of coke from the central compartment II of Fig. 2, is keyed to shaft 3%, which is driven by a gear l2 at a speed which may be varied with respect to the speed at which by the speed of a gear V5l keyed to shaft N5. The

frames lil and till, the shafts til, t3 and lili, and rolls 32 and 3ft are removable as units through the front and rear walls or the bench, respectively, without loss of the hydraulic .seal on other retorts of the bench.

Coal or other solid material to be heat treated `(preferably after crushing to pass a half inch screen) is charged to a retort it from. an overhead bunker 52 through a gas-tight coal feed valve 54, into an auxiliary coal charging hopper 56. From hopper the supply of coal to each compartment ll of retort Ill is separately controlled by charging gates 58. The speed of movement of the charge undergoing carbonization in each retort compartment II, is separately regulated by the rate at which the diunping rolls 32 and remove coke from the bottom of the retort compartments. The speeds at which the respective'rolls Sil, 32 and 3d are operated is regulated in accordance with the character of coke and gas which it is desired to produce. The coke discharged from each retort compartment fallsV intothe sealing liquid in quenching tank 22, from whence it is discharged by a liquid sealed drag conveyor In passing through the sealing liquid the coke is cooled to a point where its temperature does not substantially exceed 260 F. when nally discharged from the quenching tank by conveyor St. When discharged at this temperature it can rapidly steam itself dry in the air.

f The retorts may be heated with producer gas,

oil, pulverized coal, or other available fuel. rihe heating chamber in which the retorts are mounted comprises a system of horizontal combustion i'lues Gli which is adapted for Ythe combustion of both liquid and gaseous fuels. A single burner 52 (Fig. Zl) may be placed in the lower heating hue or aseries oi burners may be used at various elevations in the heating ilue system on the delayed combustion principle. Air for support- Ting combustion in the heating flues enters an air heating flue il@ through a register t8 in the front Wall of the setting, and becomes preheated by indirect. heat exchange with the lower portion of the retort charge while circulating through the air heating i'lue 5%, prior to its entrance into the bottom combustion ilue Eil-l. Products of combustion "leave the heating chamber at the top through a flue lll and pass to the stack 'I2 through a-straight pass tubular heat exchanger l161. VBefore discharging from stack 'l2 the hot flue gases may be bypassed through a heating coil 'IB located in the main coal hopper 53 (Fig. 2). By this means the coal may be thoroughly dried out or heated before it is charged to the'retort.V Steam may be generated in one section 'it of the heat exchanger l'l, while oil uel for supplying burner t2 may be heated in another section 80 of the heat exchanger. Y

ln case it is desired to use the heat exchanger for ksupplying hot fuel to a'gas or vaporized oil burner t2, the fuel may be vaporized and its heatin g value modied by bypassing part of the hot ue gases through one or more bypass tubes 8I into section 38 of the interchanger, and thence around sealed baille plates 82 intoV and through a body of oil therein, after which the thus carbureted ue gas is conducted to the burner 62 through a pipe connection 83` (Fig. 6).

Intermittent operation ,of the apparatus involves holding a retort charge at carbonizing temperatures for about four hours, at the end of which time the dumping rolls 28 are slowly retated to discharge about one hall of the depth or charge, or .all but say ve feet of coke, into the quenchingtank. The remainder of the coke is retained in the lower end of the retort as a support for a new coal charge.

the quenching tank by means of the coke conveyer Sil. After a retort bench is fully heated, operation oi the charging and discharging mecha.- nism may advantageously be made` relatively continuous. Y

Gas produced 'during` the carbonizing opera- After dumping' the coke a fresh charge of coal is immediately intro-- duced and the discharged coke is removed fromfl tion enters the seal box I8 of the'gas ,oitake l through up and down sections 84 and'li of scrubber pipe I l, in which it is sprayed with light liquor. This scrubbing liquid is Ycollected in the seal box, where it maintains a hydraulc seal between'the lower end of the scrubber pipe and the gas outlet connection from box I8. The depth of seal inbox l 8 is regulated by a movable overflow pipe 86 through which the scrubbing liquorY drains to a tar seal and separating tank,in which itis settled and repumped to thefscrubber pipe. The gas outlet connection from the seal box I8 joins the seal boxes of .all the retorts'in the bench, andconducts the gas to the foul gas q Y Water in the quenching tankZ'at the foot o the retorts is normally maintained at the level indicated in Fig. l to seal eachof the-retorts independently. `By means of theadjustable overiiow pipe 26 the level of the sealing liquid in tank 22 may be dropped to unseal the passage around the bottom ends of division plates 24 between` all ofthe retorts surmounting tank `22. This lowering of the liquid seal, to permit intercommunication between the retorts may be eiiected without unsealing the coke outlet conveyor 60,. By lowering the depth o1" liquid seal `in tank 22and simultaneously increasing the depth vof. seal'maintained in the gas offtake sealing box I 8 lof one retort, sufcient pressure may be placed onone retort of the bench to force the'gas generated therein to descend into the quenching tank 22 and pass under plate 24 .and up through another retort in Athe bench, thereby becoming heat-treated during ilow through the hot coke charge in the sec- Vond retort. l

of steam is generated, and to escape Afrom the q quenching tank this steam must pass up through the down-coming coke in the several retort compartments, Vcooling'it sensibly andv endothermically.

The retort compartments II may befcharged and discharged'on alternate cycles. In any case sufiicient depth of coke is retained in the bottom oi the retort undergoing discharge to effectively prevent any uprush of Wet stearn into the empty portion of the retort. efficient operation of the retort can be carried out with the production of mixed coal gas and blue gas, by providing sufcient water to generate approximately pounds ci steam per ton of coal carbonite-d. This steam is normally generated in the quenching tank but may be suppleinented by steam generated in section F8 of the heat interchanger 'ill and admitted as live steam to the quenching tank through an inlet 38.

The normal cycle of operation above described be further varied by introducing carbureting oil through a pipe di? with coal charged to the retort during the carbonizing cycle. If a Ylean gas is desired, the carbonizing cycle may be further varied by blasting a controlled amount oi" air through the retort charge, such air being introduced through an inlet pipe ii?. opening into the quenching tank. In place of air, circulation of products of combustion through` the retort charge from the flue lil may be carried out by introducing such gases through an inlet @Il in the quenching tank.

Water is usually used as the sealing liquid in quenching tank iii?. However oil may be substituted for Water, either exclusively or in a limited amount floating on water in the tank with the consequent production ci oil vapor and gas. Coke thus quenched with oil may be returned to the retort; and the retorts are designed so that they rnay be operated on a coinplete gasiiication cycle, in which case the retort charge may be blasted with steam and air until completely consumed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new is:

i. Apparatus for the distillation of coal and the like, comprising a combination coke quenching and liquid sealed coke removal tank, a plurality oi narrow vertical retorts surmounting said quenching tank and having division Walls dipping therein and spaced from the bottom thereof, coal charging Yrnechanisrn overlying each retort in- It has been found that an` cluding gas tight means for supplying charge material at a controlled rate to the retort, a combination charge supporting and coke dumping mechanism mounted at the root oi each retort above the quenching tank and adapted to extract charge material at a controlled rate from the bottom of the retort, conveyor means lor removing coke from the bo-ttoin of the quenching tank through the liquid seal to the outside oi the retort setting, means adapted to maintain an adjustable depth oi quenching and scaling liquid in the quenching tank, an individual gas offtake for removing gas'irorn the top oi each retort through a hydraulic seal, and individual rneans for varying depth of hydraulic seal on the gas oitake oi each retort.

2. Apparatus ci the type deiined in claim l, in which the coke dumping mechanism underly-n ing each retort comprises rolls keyed to individual shafts all journaled in irarnesv adapted for removal as units through the iront and rear walls or the retort setting.

3. Apparatus for the distillation of coal and the like, comprising a or" adjoining vertical retorts having a common dividing wall, spaced vertical diaphragme dividing each retort length-` Wise into a plurality of vertical carbonizing conipartnients, a combination hydraulically sealed coke removal and quenching tank underlying both ret-orte, the lower ends of said. diaphragm and retort dividing Wall extending into said tank While spaced from the bottom thereof, an individual gas removal header conirnunicably connecting the tops of all carboniaing compartments of each retort with a hydraulically sealed gas oitake, separate means ier adjusting the depth 

